5 rule changes in cricket that should not have been scrapped

Cricket, and particularly limited-overs cricket, has gone through a plethora of changes in rules over the past few decades in order to ensure that the game is an attractive one for spectators.

Some of those rule changes have added immense value to the game while others haven’t quite passed muster, but there is that small matter of a handful of positive rule changes that have been scrapped by the ICC.

Here we look at those changes that should never have been scrapped.

#5 The Super Sub

Back in 2005, the ICC had become a bit anxious about the overall popularity of cricket as a game and hence decided to reorganise the game with a few nifty changes to the rules in ODIs. One of them, the super sub, appeared to be a straight lift from football and allowed teams to name a 12th player, who could then be drafted into the game at some point by replacing someone in the first eleven.

The rule did not gain much support from captains and was eventually scrapped, however, it presents an interesting angle for spectators. For instance, in this day and age of super sized bats and fast outfields, captains would invariably have gone in one batsman short in most games.

It presented a strategic conundrum that captains could not cope with 12 years ago but the rule in principle was a good one. Maybe it was ahead of its time.